


First Kiss/Thousandth Kiss

by E_Salvatore



Series: Tagged: TBTP Tumblr Fics [1]
Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: F/M, Tumblr Fic, Warning: Demonic possession, and Archdemon!Alex in her first starring role!, but of the wholesome fun variety, featuring ZombieBabs' Demonbro!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 21:38:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5759782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E_Salvatore/pseuds/E_Salvatore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For ZombieBabs, the queen who gave us Demonbro!Strand.</p>
<p>So there they are, making out like two people with a lot of pent-up UST do after near-death experiences... until the demon inside his head realizes that the demon inside her head is his estranged wife. Just another day in the life of a being a vessel, really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Kiss/Thousandth Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ZombieBabs (CommodoreOblivious)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ZombieBabs+%28CommodoreOblivious%29).



It’s downright embarrassing, really; one of them is a grown man with multiple degrees, the other an ancient demon. Yet it takes a near-death experience before they make any progress with Alex and even then, she’s the one to make the first move.

Oh, but screw pride and ego and whatever society has to say about men having to make the first move because _Alex is kissing him_. Thankfully, she has enough of her senses left to click the lock into place and bar unwanted visitors from their hotel room for the night. With that taken care of, she wastes no time in jumping up and wrapping her legs around him, laughing against his lips when Strand staggers under the sudden added weight.

_Hold her up, you idiot. Hands. On her waist. Come on, do you seriously need me to tell you this?_

_Shut up, will you?_ There’s no real malice in either of their voices, for two reasons: one (and this really cannot be stressed enough), _Alex is kissing him_ ; two, this conversation is taking place entirely within his mind.

Still, the second voice has a point and so Strand winds his arms around Alex’s waist to support her as they blindly make their way to the bed. Everything feels so surreal and dreamlike, especially when you take into consideration the fact that just an hour ago, they’d nearly been kidnapped by some deranged cult members. But her hands in his hair, her breath on his neck when she pulls away for air, her weight in his arms – these are the things Strand uses to ground himself in this moment. This is as close to a religious experience as he’ll ever get; let Alex be the altar at which he worships, let her gasps and moans be his hymns, let her touch be his absolution.

_Man, will you just shut up and focus on this? You’re not taking notes for a book here – you’re kissing Alex. And it’s amazing and wonderful and familiar and-_

They’re at the foot of the bed now, Alex hovering above the mattress with her arms and legs still clinging to him. Not a word has been said since she pushed him into their room and against the wall but maybe after all these years, they’ve had enough words… for now. For now, he’ll bask in the simple comfort of how _familiar_ all of this is despite the fact that it’s their first kiss, how _right_ it all feels – like coming home, like finding all the answers he’d never thought to look for, like it’s thirteen hundred years ago and they’re still young and happy and in love and –

“Holy fuck!” A voice that is Strand’s yet isn’t Strand exclaims.

_Took you long enough_ , a voice that sounds like Alex yet isn’t Alex scoffs. Her laugh rings out in Strand’s mind even as the Alex in front of him blinks at him with confused eyes and unmoving lips.

Strand feels like his limbs might grow heavy and numb with terror, but the voice in his head – the usual one, not this unidentified woman – has other plans. He drops Alex and practically flies across the room to put as much distance between them as possible.

Alex doesn’t _land_ on the mattress – she _floats_ down, her graceful landing in complete defiance of every known law of gravity. She crosses her legs and shakes her head at a bewildered Strand, who pushes hard enough to regain control of his own body for a short while.

“What is going on here?” Strand demands, eyes locked on Alex even as he questions the voices – _voices_ , because one wasn’t enough – in his head. The woman laughs again but this time, it comes from Alex.

Alex, with eyes that have suddenly turned pure black and a voice too low to be her own. “Why don’t you ask your friend? If he isn’t too busy shaking with fear, that is.”

“He’s not my friend.” That doesn’t mean Strand isn’t worried when he finds the demon to be unnaturally quiet. _What’s wrong? Where are you?_ “What have you done with Alex?”

And just like that, black eyes melt into brown ones and it’s Alex on the bed again, tears swimming in her eyes. “It’s me, Richard. I’m sorry you had to find out this way but it’s me-”

Before his very eyes, she shifts again – eyes black, shoulders squared, a sharp smirk the likes of which Alex would never direct at him. “And me.”

When he tries to speak again, he’s somewhat relieved to find that he has to struggle to form his own words, to move his own lips. _Buddy, no. Trust me, you don’t want to ask –_ “And who are _you_?”

She laughs again, and the sound of it echoing in his mind the second time is just as jarring as the first time. _Won’t you introduce us, darling?_

“Enough!” Strand seethes, his anger growing by the second and amplified by the fact that he can feel his control slipping. “Will one of you just-”

“She’s my ex-wife, okay?” The demon shouts as soon as he regains use of Strand’s body.

_Oh._

_You just had to know, didn’t you? And now we’re fucked. Do you even_ know _who we’re dealing with?_

_Five minutes ago, I didn’t even know you_ had _a wife. How would I know who she is?_

_Whatever, man. I don’t have to tell you everything about me. I mean, you never even thought to ask if I had a life before this._

_… Well? Who is she, then?_

_Get ready. You’re gonna love this._ The bloody demon has the nerve to play a drumroll in Strand’s mind before he finally spits it out. _That right there, my friend, is the Big Guy’s right hand woman._

“You know,” Said right hand woman scowls. “It’s very rude to talk about someone as if they can’t hear you. And for the record: we’re not divorced. We’re not even married, if you want to get technical about it but I suppose that is the best way to describe our relationship in human terms.”

“Fine,” The demon huffs, rolling Strand’s eyes. “I present to you: my _estranged_ wife.”

When she smiles with Alex’s eyes and Alex’s lips, all of it looks _wrong_. Strand can’t help but feel concerned and angry and _scared_ on Alex’s behalf even though he’s been possessed all his life and really, it’s not what the Bible makes it out to be. Still – it’s different when it comes to Alex. How _dare_ a demon violate her this way.

_Down, buddy. This is a fight you’re not gonna win. Take it from me: you want to stay on her good side. And trust me: she probably treats Alex better than I treat you. I mean, it’s not even a full-time possession. I would’ve picked up on it if she’d been hanging out in Alex’s head all this time._

“I’d listen to the voice in your head if I were you, Doctor Strand,” The demon flashes him a smile with the slightest hint of teeth, transforming Alex’s features into an unspoken warning.

_Get out of our head,_ his demon mutters.

“Gladly. In fact – let’s you and I give these two some privacy; I say they’ve earned it. And I’d rather spare them the conversation we need to have, _dear_.” She flashes them that warning smile again, one that clearly says _and that isn’t a suggestion_.

_Please don’t let me go with her oh fuck she’s going to kill me bro seriously if I mean anything to you anything at all –_

“ _Now_.” Alex’s demon orders with a glare.

_If I don’t come back – it’s been fun, buddy. Don’t fuck this thing with Alex up, okay? Good luck._

And suddenly, for the first time in _decades_ , Strand is alone.

Judging by the look in her eyes, Alex has also been granted a temporary reprieve. “It’s so quiet,” She murmurs in wonder. “And a bit lonely? I mean, that’s probably _really_ fucked-up but I’m so used to having her around and-”

“Alex,” He closes the distance between them within seconds, pulling her into a reassuring embrace. “It’s okay. I feel it too.” She sighs, letting him hold her while they spend precious and limited time adjusting to their newfound and short-lived freedom.

The loneliness - yes, he feels that as well. A common side-effect after living your entire life with a demon in your head, probably. But his mind is the exact opposite of quiet. A thousand questions and answers buzz around in his brain as previously disregarded pieces of a puzzle slowly fall into place. So many little things about Alex that he’d simply brushed aside, so many big questions about her demon that he can’t ignore.

But all of that can wait. For now, they’re finally alone together.

.

.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, the entire city is plunged into darkness. Tomorrow the people in charge will come up with some sort of logical explanation for this sudden blackout… but Strand will know better.

_Dude, that was_ fucking _terrifying, okay? Don’t laugh, you asshole. Let’s see you laugh after watching your super-pissed wife drain an entire city of its power to rage at you. Are you seriously still laughing? God, you got laid, didn’t you? I can’t believe you got it on with Alex while my wife was too busy trying to kill me to pay attention to you two. That’s called taking one for the team, bro. You’re fucking welcome._

**Author's Note:**

> If you're feeling lost, I highly suggest you check out ZombieBabs' Demonbro series. Basically, we came up with a whole lot of headcanons and crack theories over on Tumblr, and I went and took the Demonbro!Strand/Archdemon!Alex thing to a whole new level… because the show comes back this Tuesday so this is my last chance to use the ‘hiatus hell’ excuse to justify this, I guess.


End file.
